Existential Medical Ethics
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Where Did All the Philosophy Go?
Existential philosophy has influenced perceptions of health, wellness, illness, and medicine since the ancient Greek philosophers. Multiple philosophers, from Plato to Heidegger, focused on questions about the nature of knowledge, the meaning of health, the mind-body connection, and even the influence of changing medical theories and technologies. Interpreting and evaluating these multiple theoretical foundations and the meanings they hold are important when it comes to developing, and defining, a workable philosophy of medicine.
But the problem here is that Western medicine tends to ignore philosophy, or at the very least, to downgrade it when it comes to dealing with patients. Certainly, the rapid advancements in medical technology since the 1970s are starting to lead to more reflection of the philosophy of medicine. But what’s missing is the purpose of these technologies and how they can be used from a philosophical viewpoint in areas including utility and even ethics.
Let’s try a simple experiment. Think about the words medicine and philosophy, then determine how these two could be interrelated. Your first thought might be that these terms simply don’t match with one another. What could philosophy, and its focus on thinking and knowing, and medicine, which treats and cures people of illnesses, possibly have in common?
This question is the main problem with Western medicine today. Once upon a time, existential philosophy and medicine were inextricably linked. In the days of ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and even during Renaissance times, the practice of medicine without some kind of philosophical underpinning simply wouldn’t be considered. But as our thinking moved from the spiritual to the rational, philosophy became a focus for the humanities, while medicine fell into science. That “unlinking” we have today makes visiting the doctor because you aren’t feeling very well a very trying prospect.
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When you think of the words medicine and philosophy, your first thought might be that the two words aren’t related. What could they possibly have in common?
Once upon a time, however, existential philosophy and medicine were inextricably linked. In the days of ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and even during the Renaissance, the practice of medicine without some kind of philosophical underpinning simply wouldn’t be considered.
But as our thinking moved from the spiritual to the rational, philosophy became a focus for the humanities, while medicine fell into science. That “unlinking” we have today makes visiting the doctor because you aren’t feeling very well a very trying prospect.
Richard George Boudreau, a maxillofacial surgeon, bioethicist, attorney at law, forensic expert, has numerous academic credentials, including MA, MBA, DDS, MD, JD, PhD, PsyD degrees, examines the existential philosophical underpinnings that have influenced perceptions of health, wellness, illness, and medicine since the time of the ancient Greeks in this scholarly work. He argues that interpreting and evaluating theoretical foundations and the meanings they hold are essential to defining a workable philosophy of medicine.
Find out how bringing philosophy, the mind-body connection, and other ideas into alignment with medicine can benefit patients, doctors, and the entire medical system.
“I continue to marvel at Dr. Boudreau’s brilliance, energy
and productivity.”
Barry I. Ludwig, MD
UCLA Clinical Professor of Neurology
About the Author
Richard George Boudreau is a maxillofacial surgeon, bioethicist, attorney at law, and forensic expert. He has earned numerous academic credentials, including MA, MBA, DDS, MD, JD, PhD, PsyD degrees. He holds several fellowships and is on the faculty of the U.C.L.A. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He volunteers as a teacher and is passionate about health care, law, theology, philosophy, education, and public policy. He is a regular bioethics contributor to several magazines and newspapers and has written several other books.